Chapter 961: Matter Sovereign (2)

Over the tens of thousands of years spent in this temple, Wu Yuan explored his surroundings whenever he took breaks, but found no way out. This was also why he'd been content to cultivate here.

Surely it can't truly be a dead end. This temple must have been created by the Dao Master. Given his status, if he truly wanted me dead, there'd be no need for such an elaborate trap.

Wu Yuan's form flickered as he prepared to explore the entire temple once more.

“Passing the challenge of the burial mountain is proof of your talent for the path of Laws. You must have reached the Sovereign level.” An indifferent voice seemed to ring out from thin air.

It didn't resound within the temple, but rather deep within Wu Yuan's spirit, as if it had been hiding within his body all along.

This?

Wu Yuan's pupils contracted slightly.

"To comprehend 3000 Primal Force Diagrams in under 300,000 years proves your talent on the path of matter as well... With mastery of two eternal paths, your future is limitless.

"Do your utmost. Do not abandon either path. Perhaps, you will have a glimmer of hope in the future..." The indifferent voice gradually faded away.

Everything returned to silence.

Hmm?

Wu Yuan was still somewhat dazed. Nothing around him had changed, as if what he'd just heard was merely an illusion. But Wu Yuan knew it was no illusion.

That voice just now was ethereal and boundless, yet penetrated deep into my spirit? What kind of technique is this?

Wu Yuan was shocked.

Even with Wu Yuan's current power, not even an Overlord could accomplish this so effortlessly and imperceptibly. Wu Yuan was confident of this. Yet it had happened nonetheless.

The Dao Master. That voice just now was likely the Creation Dao Master’s

. Wu Yuan now understood. Only a supreme being had such abilities.

This burial mountain doesn't seem to be a simple burial ground. If it were truly just for burying those Sovereigns, why were there steles with ultimate techniques? Why would even the Dao Master erect steles? And why the special passageway?

And this temple—what was the Dao Master's purpose for leaving it here?

Various thoughts flashed unbidden through Wu Yuan's mind.

He thought of the many secrets of the Creation Dao Realm: the endless stream of treasures spawning, the constant birth of astral beasts, the orderly operation of the entire Dao Realm—all of this hinted at a great secret behind the scenes.

And then there's the Creation Dao Master.

According to the scant intelligence I've gathered, even if not as powerful as Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, the Dao Masters who command the Great Daos should be among the mightiest of supreme beings.

Wu Yuan mused.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The Spacetime Dao Master, for instance, seems to be subtly acknowledged as the number one powerhouse in the Ling Jiang Universe.

The Creation Dao Master was an unimaginably great being. What could have caused his demise?

Moreover, judging by various signs, the Dao Master seems to have anticipated his own demise. Very strange...

The more Wu Yuan pondered, the more perplexing it seemed.

Wu Yuan was still far too weak. The Eldritch Progenitors of the Eldritch Court might know some insider information, but Wu Yuan wasn't yet qualified to access it.

Two eternal paths, don't abandon either? A glimmer of hope—hope for what?

Wu Yuan continued to ponder.

Suddenly, without a sound, an invisible ripple swept past, and Wu Yuan vanished from the temple.

...

The Aquaflame Chasm remained as it always had—an endless river in the void.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan appeared out of thin air above the river.

Hmm? Back here again? It seems I'm not far from where I entered the burial mountain.

Wu Yuan muttered to himself.

I was worried I'd be teleported somewhere far away.

If he'd been transported to the outer regions of the Dao Realm, it would have taken another grueling thousand-year journey to reach the Well of Life.

Entering the burial mountain resulted in a more than 50,000-year detour.

Those 50,000 years far exceeded all his previous years of cultivation combined. But the gains had been equally astounding.

Not only had he acquired treasures and broken through to the fourth-level Dao Field stage of the Creation Great Dao, most crucially, his progress on the path of matter had undergone a metamorphosis, directly reaching the Sovereign level. Comprehending the 3000 Primal Force Diagrams had allowed him to break through a major bottleneck.

Next is to continue comprehending until I fully grasp the Five Thousand Primal Force Diagrams.

Wu Yuan mused.

Once the Five Thousand Primal Force Diagrams were fully comprehended, that would be the ninth-stage Sovereign level, just one step away from Overlord.

Oh right. I haven't checked the treasures from the spirit of the burial mountain yet.

With a thought, Wu Yuan immediately retrieved the jade pendant-shaped storage artifact.

He swiftly began examining its contents. Soon, Wu Yuan's initial excitement quickly gave way to disappointment.

Is this all that's left?

Within the storage artifact, various treasures were piled high, but the vast majority were unusable.

Low-grade Dao Instruments, mid-grade Dao Instruments, and the like had all completely disintegrated; what was left couldn’t even be called dregs. These Dao Instruments, imbued with complete Law essences, were meant to endure as long as heaven and earth.

Time. The burial mountain has borne witness to the destruction and rebirth of heaven and earth countless times. How could these treasures escape such a fate?

Wu Yuan reflected silently.

Only the high-grade Dao Instruments haven't deteriorated too severely. The hundred or so damaged high-grade Dao Instruments should still hold some value.

By Wu Yuan's estimate, all the treasures in this storage artifact were probably worth about a dozen high-grade Dao Instruments.

Not too shabby. Comparable to the entire wealth of an ordinary Sovereign.

Wu Yuan's mood improved as he pondered this.

He became increasingly aware of the mercilessness of time. Even high-grade Dao Instruments would decay.

Only the eternal, like Xiantian artifacts imbued with the essence of the Great Daos, do not decay with the passage of time.

Wu Yuan's form flickered into motion. With a Sovereign-level physical body, combined with mastery of the complete Law of Space, he easily surpassed a thousandfold light speed.

He swiftly plunged into the depths of the river.

...

In the Eldritch Court Voidrealm, within the Myriad River Realm, was a temple shrouded in seven-colored light.

"Overlord." Wu Yuan flew into the great hall, bowing slightly.

"You've finally returned. With no news for over 50,000 years, I thought perhaps your true self had perished." Overlord Hou Jue sat upon his throne, looking down at Wu Yuan.

"My apologies for worrying the Overlord." Wu Yuan said.

"I see you've reaped great gains. In some ineffable way, you seem even more formidable than many Sovereigns." Overlord Hou Jue smiled faintly. "Do you face any difficulties?"

"None." Wu Yuan shook his head.

"Very well. Be careful when on your adventures." Seeing Wu Yuan's reluctance to elaborate, Overlord Hou Jue didn't press further. "If you truly encounter great trouble in the Dao Realm, remember to seek Overlord Ming Zhun."

"Yes," Wu Yuan replied.

Overlord Ming Zhun, a high-ranking Overlord of the Eldritch Court's Long Shan Saintdom, was responsible for numerous affairs and held an extremely lofty position within the Saintdom.

If Wu Yuan encountered danger in the Creation Dao Realm, seeking aid from the Eldritch Court's Ling Jiang Saintdom would be impractical. Overlord Ming Zhun would be able to assist him far more quickly.

"Go," Overlord Hou Jue issued a dismissal.

Wu Yuan departed swiftly.

Vanishing for fifty thousand years, it seems he's undergone another astonishing transformation.

Overlord Hou Jue mused silently.

I estimate he's not far from ascending to a Sovereign of Life.

She wasn't overly concerned about Wu Yuan as long as he faced no mortal danger.

Cultivation? As a Saintcrest Prodigy, attaining ninth-stage Sovereign combat power was merely a matter of time.

Overlord Hou Jue gently closed her eyes.

...

Wu Yuan returned to his hall in the Eldritch Court Voidrealm and immediately began reviewing the various messages from the past fifty thousand years.

There are some from Master, Sovereign Cang Feng, and some Sovereign friends...

Wu Yuan processed them one by one.

There were also reports from his subordinate Astral Monarchs. Astral Monarch Hou Qu, for instance, had reported many matters to him, but unable to reach Wu Yuan, Sovereign Kua Chi had already handled them on his behalf.

There were also numerous messages from relatives and friends. Wu Yuan pondered briefly before responding to each one.

My sister, Fang Xia, and mother... I've done all I can for them.

Wu Yuan silently reflected.

On this path of cultivation, I cannot afford to slow down.

On the journey to pursue the pinnacle, one would have many regrets. However, after a brief observation and inquiry, Wu Yuan understood that his sister, mother, and the others were living relatively happily overall.

Subsequently, Wu Yuan began reviewing intelligence reports on various major and minor events across the megaverse over the past fifty thousand years. This was a duty expected of an Eldritch Court Sovereign, and also a kind of benefit. Most small factions would be unable to gather this much intelligence.

Wu Yuan swiftly perused the information, updating himself on the affairs of the megaverse.

Oh? Zhu Shan has broken through to become a Sovereign? While battling other Sovereigns in the Silvershard River, his ether body unleashed sixth-stage Sovereign power?

Wu Yuan pondered silently.

With his ether body possessing such strength, once his true self wielded a Xiantian artifact, he could most likely unleash seventh-stage or even eighth-stage Sovereign power. Zhu Shan remained as formidable as ever.

As for me, having been absent for fifty thousand years, with no notable achievements, I fear many Sovereigns and even Overlords within the Eldritch Court might consider Zhu Shan more outstanding.

Wu Yuan couldn't help but smile.

He and Zhu Shan were two monstrous prodigies born in the same era within the Eldritch Court. It was only natural for people to draw comparisons between them.

Hmm?

A flash of coldness gleamed in Wu Yuan's eyes as this avatar vanished from the Eldritch Court Voidrealm.

...

Creation Dao Realm, Aquaflame Chasm.

The void above the river was utterly silent, save for the tumbling of the waters.

An astral beast?

Wu Yuan stood vigilant in the void, his gaze fixed upon the True Dragon-like astral beast of considerable size lounging in the distant river.

It was slightly smaller than the two powerful astral beasts Wu Yuan had encountered previously, but it was undoubtedly Sovereign-level.

Back then, Wu Yuan hadn't feared encountering two Sovereign-level astral beasts. Let alone a single, smaller one now. [1]

Having already encountered it, if I let it escape, I fear leaving the Aquaflame Chasm will become far more complicated.

Wu Yuan frowned slightly.

He truly didn't want to engage in battle. These Sovereign-level astral beasts were all extremely troublesome. Even a late-stage Sovereign powerhouse would have to flee in disarray if a whole horde of them came after them.

"Roar~ Outsider, die!" The astral beast abruptly transformed into a streak of light and charged at Wu Yuan with terrifying speed. Its eyes flickered with boundless killing intent. To astral beasts, all foreign cultivators were their enemies and foes.

A proactive attack? Then let's end this swiftly.

A glint of coldness flashed through Wu Yuan's eyes as he swooped forward to meet the charge.

With a thunderous rumble, Wu Yuan instantly grew to a towering height of ten thousand zhangs, nine battle sabers materializing in his hands. Among them, one was entirely jet-black, yet not markedly different from the other eight sabers.

The Black Rock Saber. Having gained initial mastery over this Xiantian artifact, it no longer leaked even the slightest aura.

Boom! Boom!

The river churned as the two powerful beings closed in.

"Roar!" The astral beast bellowed, its massive body shifting with frightening speed. It suddenly lashed out with two razor-sharp claws, like two pillars of heaven crashing down.

The two claws intertwined, intent on slaying Wu Yuan outright. Its aura was overwhelming!

It appears to harbor intense hatred towards me. Very well. A Sovereign-level astral beast – perfect for testing the fruits of my fifty thousand years of cultivation.

Killing intent blazed in Wu Yuan's eyes as he strode across the river as if treading a gentle stream.

Swish!

Instantly, an identical figure appeared beside Wu Yuan—his ether body. It was equally tall at ten thousand zhangs, also wielding nine battle sabers.

Hmm?

A flicker of fear flashed through the astral beast's eyes.

The instant Wu Yuan's ether body appeared, it attacked in perfect unison with his true self!

1. excuse me, “hadn’t feared”? What?? ☜